Chapter 167

"I got this," Anko shouts, sniping the nake's high head with six Fūma Shuriken she not only ignites in flames, but quickly clones into twelve projectile weapons, then twenty-four with, "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

With Anko distracting it and leading it away, Naruto utilizes the moment of respite to create a large Rasengan with Kyūbi chakra. He then follows the large snake as it attacks Anko, waiting for the perfect opportunity, until he pulls up short. Stopping on top of a half-downed thick branch, Naruto receives the memories of Sasuke forcibly dispelling his clones, and he can't help but curse, "that idiot!"

Naruto is about to leave Anko with his single tailed clone when the woman shrieks before gripping desperately between shoulder and neck. It's an opening Manda easily takes advantage of to feed, opening its hissing mouth wide for its small meal only to choke and shriek its own cry of pain as Naruto slams his large Rasengan into the grand summon's slithering spine. Despite the thick scales of its hide Naruto is effectively drilling through, the blond keeps up the intensity until it dispels.

As the thick smoke evaporates, a heaving Naruto regresses to his feral, red-eyed strength as he leaps to Anko's side. Though she's on her knees in tremendous pain, gripping at her curse mark while holding in her scream, Naruto has to get to Sasuke before Orochimaru does or he'll suffer the same curse. Naruto sends his remaining single-tailed clone to try and find Orochimaru or Sasuke to either fight off or save, respectively.

Naruto is growing more tired, not that he would consider resting, but he wanted to stay alert until they've finished the second test and a steadily building fatigue won't help him. Carrying Anko in his arms bridal style, moved his forearm too near her seal, so he had to carry her piggyback style as he raced through the air, retracing his clones direction.

'Hey,' Naruto hears Naru-nii greet. 'How's everything?'

'Hey, Naru-nii,' Naruto thinks as he jumps from branch to branch. While he's relaying some of what he knows to his future counterpart, a cache of memories interrupts his thoughts, and Naruto curses, "fuck!"

'What,' Naru-nii asks as Anko winces in pain asking, "what is it?"

"…We're too late," Naruto sorrowfully tells them. After traveling for another twenty minutes, they find Sasuke unconscious with the seal on the back base of his neck.

'Hey, listen,' Naru-nii slowly starts. 'I'll save my strength so we can talk later but, remember, we only wanted to try and spare him the pain of it. He'll survive this, so don't beat yourself up about it.'

The single-tailed clone reverts to red eyes and feral blond hair before lifting Sasuke's unconscious body onto his shoulders, wrapping his arms securely around Sasuke's dangling right arm and leg. After, they travel the high thick branches of the enormous trees until they come across Team 10 and Sakura in a small clearing.

Sakura rushes up to the Naruto carrying Sasuke as Anko orders for the Uchiha to be laid down. The Narutos lower their cursed individuals down and Sakura and Anko check Sasuke over while Ino rushes over to a very tired Naruto. He drops to a knee when Ino's hands grip his shoulders prompting her to take out her canteen in a frenzy, before helping him drink.

Though he's heaving, sweating profusely, stained with splashes of blood and grime, his teeth are still white when he smiles broadly, expressing his gratitude. "Thanks, Ino-chan."

"Are you okay," a concerned Ino asks, looking him over for any life-threatening wounds.

Letting out a whining exhale, he hoarsely answers, "if I never see another snake again, it'll be too soon, but I'm okay," he smiles before drinking some more water.

"Sorry, Team 7 but I'm going to have to disqualify you," Anko states as she looks over a wincing Sasuke's cursed mark.

Naruto gasps, choking on water and Sakura asks in quick succession, "what? But why?"

Anko's pained and heaving face explains, "I have to take Uchiha-kun with me, and I can't exactly let Team 7 continue with only two members, can I." After taking a few deep breaths, Anko sympathizes, "I get that it sucks, but-"

"Wait!" Naruto yells, cutting her off. "Let me at least check how many scrolls we have. If we have both, just let us race to the tower and complete it today. Please," Naruto adds.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asks before checking Sasuke's pocket. She takes out their scroll as she confirms, "we only have the earth scroll." Naruto turns to his clone who dispels to inform what's left of his platoon that the battle is over and ask they report how many scrolls they may have acquired.

"Well, we have the heaven scroll," Ino suggests, looking from Sakura to Naruto.

"Oh, boy," Shikamaru sighs as Chōji asks, "you're not suggesting we give them our scroll?" Ino eyes him sternly, and the infinite amount of penance is clear between them. Chōji says nothing more as Shikamaru irately scratches his head as he curses, "troublesome."

"If they're willing to hand over their scroll, I'll allow it," Anko states. "But I need to know now."

"Ah," Naruto calls as the memories start flooding in. Half his original platoon is gone, but of course, those remaining can create their own clones. "Mnn, the Hokage is on his way… Hinata-chan is alright… we have two earth scrolls… and one heaven scroll! So we're good. Thanks, Ino-chan. You can have one of our earth scrolls if you want."

"How do you…" Shikamaru starts and both he and Chōji stare at Naruto confused, wondering if he's lying to bide his time, or if he's lying to bluff the proctor. In either instance, they're both sure Naruto isn't the long-range sensor type and are justified when Naruto starts tearing up and mewls pathetically, holding in his want to cry.

Sakura rushes to him, checking him over with her Iryō-ninjutsu as she asks, "what is it?" And Ino asks, "what's wrong?"

Naruto whimpers his answer, "uuuuhh, Karin-chan's family and they bit her mother to death!"

"Karin-chan?"

"Death?"

Pressed and understanding the specifics of Kage Bunshin as well as knowing the details behind Mizuki's defeat, Anko's certain Naruto is telling her the truth. "We need to go," she tells the genin before turning to Naruto. "Tell your clones to meet us at the tower." After creating and dispelling a clone, they sprint through the trees for nearly three and a half hours in the night until they finally reach the tower.

The group of exhausted ninja break the seal of one of the tower's many double doors and enter a large lit entrance chamber. The two-story expanse has two overhead walkways made of concrete with a framed banner hanging on the wood and concrete wall. Reading the words on the banner is a familiar orange-clad blond and an unknown redhead with glasses. Shikamaru, Chōji, Sakura and especially Ino are stunned when Naruto breaks away from them and rushes across the room to the red-headed girl with glasses standing next to a Naruto clone with three scrolls in his hands, and lifts her entire frame in a big bear hug.

"Not again," they hear the girl bemoans, though pleased.

"Uh, Naruto," Ino starts, wondering to herself why there always has to be a rival. 'I'm not even sure about him yet and there's already another girl in the way!' her thoughts yell, mirroring her bewilderment. Ino attempts to ask as politely as possible, "who is that?"

"Ah," Naruto calls out setting Karin down. "Ji-chan, Kakashi-sensei, and Asuma-sensei are here," Naruto informs them.

Naruto's clone hands Shikamaru an earth scroll when a team of Anbu, Kakashi, Asuma, and the Hokage rush into the room. Anko picks up an unconscious Sasuke, telling Sakura, "you did good keeping his temperature down and assist his healing. We'll take it from here."

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